When he smiles
by Yuneyn
Summary: What if Prompto had never gotten the courage to talk to Noctis in high school, but ended up meeting him again by chance at his part-time job? And this time, well, they did talk.


_A/N:_ _This fluffy story is for my wonderful beta Akumeoi/voxiferous who has been such an amazing help on most of my FFXV stories! It's part of a Valentine's exchange, so be sure to check out her own fluffy fic!_ _Her prompt basically was to have a coffee shop AU based on Noctis' part time job as a cook in a sushi bar. Remember that convo in Insomnia where the bros tease Noct for not smiling much? Well, Prompto is going to change that!_

 _I must confess that I have no idea how restaurants work - and also why would Noctis need a part-time job, and how exactly does a kid end up cook in a sushi bar, don't they need a special training - anyway, bear with me please if some things don't seem too realistic (it is a fantasy based on reality after all). Besides, we're all here for the fluff, aren't we?_

 _It was a nice exercise to write from Noctis' POV for once, as I usually favor Prompto's. I really hope it works out. The way I see it, they graduated not long ago, so Noctis is still kind of in his broody teenager mood. But he's a good guy - it's just annoying when people just whisper behind his back or ask him questions about his servants (as seen in Brotherhood)_

 _Anyway, I want to thank MakikoIgami for talking about the prompt with me and helping me come up with an outline when I was blocked. And many many thanks to glittercracker for stepping in as my beta on this story!_

 _(I swear one day I will stop telling my whole life story in the notes. I really will.)_

* * *

Alright, seriously, why was that guy here?

Noctis could swear he was a good person, really. Sure, maybe his "public face" was carefully manufactured - because in reality there was only so much interaction with strangers he could handle - but he was polite, and usually tolerated the stupid questions people asked him. And even if Ignis kept telling him to smile more, Noctis thought he smiled plenty already. Especially considering how most people acted upon recognizing him.

Usually, it was fine. During lunch and dinner rush, there was enough staff working that Noctis wouldn't need to wait tables or work the register. He'd just be behind the counter, preparing sushi with his baseball cap on, and no one would pay him much attention. After all, there were people at the Citadel working to make sure that the fact that Noctis worked here wasn't advertised.

Unfortunately, this damned place had to be open 24/7. And, of course, because most people weren't stupid enough to go eat sushi in the middle of the afternoon - seriously, there were a lot of nice coffee shops in Insomnia, so, _why_ \- the restaurant would run on minimum staff during those quiet hours.

And no, maybe Noctis wasn't a bad person, but he had just come back to work after one month of royal travels and then the celebration for his 18th birthday - and really, _really,_ he had hoped to just be "Noctis, the guy who prepares sushi in silence" and not "Prince Noctis, here to answer dumb questions with a smile."

But no, there had to be _someone._

And that someone had to have arrived during shift change, because no one had taken his order yet.

As Noctis was busy glaring at the customer's back, he hadn't realized that Lux, his coworker, had finished getting ready until he saw him almost hop towards the other guy. A small, relieved sighed escaped Noctis' lips when he saw Lux begin chatting happily with the stranger, and he knelt behind the counter to get some things out.

"Hey Noctis, can you prepare this order?" Noctis popped his head up when he heard his coworker's voice. He glanced briefly at the paper Lux had set on the counter - 6 salmon sushi, at 3pm, _ugh,_ whatever - then at the customer's back.

"Friend of yours?" Noctis asked quietly.

"Who, Prompto? I wouldn't say he's a _friend,_ but everyone here knows him," Lux said, then paused for a second. "Oh, but I guess he started coming here when you were away, so you wouldn't know. He's around a lot, works on his photography during the off-hours. You should talk to him too, he's pretty cool."

"Pass," Noctis said, his tone detached as he busied himself with cooking. He chose to ignore the way Lux rolled his eyes while he waited for Noctis to be finished. Lux was alright, most of the time - he treated Noctis like a normal person after all - but Noctis didn't need the silent judgment. Ignis relentlessly pointing out his lack of _"real"_ smiling was enough already, thank you very much.

The afternoon passed by quietly; the stranger thankfully never ordered anything else and seemed content with working in silence. Noctis relaxed as he prepared some things ahead of the dinner rush, the mechanical tasks allowing his thoughts to drift off.

Noctis eventually noticed the customer standing in front of the register. The guy shot him a shy glance before looking down at the credit card his hands were fumbling with. Frowning, Noctis realized Lux must have been on his break, and that the others wouldn't be here for another half hour. Trying not to sigh _too_ obviously, he left the counter and went to print out the stranger's check, meeting his eyes for a brief second as he handed it to him.

Which, to Noctis' dismay, was enough to see the guy's eyes widen in surprise. "Oh, you're… um…" the customer mumbled. There was something familiar about him, but Noctis couldn't really pinpoint what.

"Don't," Noctis said quickly, raising his hand. The guy just stared at him, looking a bit stunned, and Noctis realized he must have come off a bit harsh. Alright, maybe he hadn't wanted to talk to anyone today, but still, he wasn't a jerk. Sighing again, Noctis rand a hand through his hair and rearranged his cap. "I mean, I don't want it to be a big deal. Please?"

"Oh, okay, sure, sorry," the other guy - _Prompto,_ he recalled from his earlier talk with Lux - babbled quickly, handing out his credit card. "And um… If you're uncomfortable with my being here, um… I can go somewhere else," he said quietly, avoiding Noctis' eyes.

"Huh?" Noctis didn't understand. Surely he hadn't been _that_ harsh, right?

"I mean, back in highschool… I know I kinda stared a lot, and, well, I'm sorry."

So _that_ was why the guy looked familiar.

"You hadn't noticed?" Prompto asked shyly.

"No, I noticed, just…" Noctis trailed off. "You weren't the only one, so… I guess it doesn't really matter," he added, swiping Prompto's card.

The guy chuckled, but the sound came off a little sad. "Well, for what it's worth, I didn't mean to look like a stalker or anything."

"What did you mean, then?"

"Well… This is gonna sound stupid but - you always looked lonely, you know? And… I was kinda always alone too. So, I thought, maybe we could… I don't know, hang out? Become friends?" Prompto said, tugging at the hair on the back his neck and blushing slightly. "But I could never work up the courage to talk to you, and then we graduated a few months ago, and, well, now I feel like an idiot."

Noctis considered the other guy for a moment. Most people who had stared at him back in school would always just turn away to laugh with their friends, or come to see him later to ask him some stupid question about his princely life and all. Prompto had just been... there. Looking. Then glancing away immediately whenever Noctis had caught him staring.

Maybe he really was just a shy guy. And he had been talking to him pretty normally just now, unlike most people who simply giggled - as if 'The Prince' wanting some semblance of normalcy was the funniest concept ever. So, yeah, this guy seemed... different, at the very least.

Noctis realized that his silence had made Prompto look even more dejected, so he allowed his features to soften. "Well, you're talking to me now."

Prompto huffed a small laugh but then he looked up at Noctis and smiled, an actual, real smile that reached the guy's blue eyes. "I guess I am."

Noctis could never explain what compelled him to do what he did next. He leaned over the counter a little, giving Prompto back his card with the receipt, and said, "Well then, let's."

"What?"

"Be friends."

Prompto stared back at Noctis with wide, unblinking eyes, and then his smile grew impossibly wider. "See you soon, then!" he said, tilting his head and giving Noctis a small wave. He then bolted out of the restaurant, leaving Noctis alone to gawk at the door and contemplate his life choices.

* * *

Being friends with Prompto ended up being easier than Noctis had imagined. The guy was enthusiastic but never pushy; he respected Noctis' privacy, and he _really_ never treated him as a prince. Granted, Noctis' coworkers weren't doing it either, but his relationship with them remained purely superficial - Prompto felt like… well, like a friend.

Not that Noctis didn't have friends - Gladio and Ignis were cool, but he was still "The Prince" with them. The "duty" aspect of their friendship made it all the more difficult for Noctis to completely relax around them. But with Prompto, it was fine. They could talk about video games, exchange silly memes on their phones, text each other late at night - and Prompto would never say anything about it not being "princely" or how he wouldn't have as much trouble waking up if he went to bed at decent hours.

They'd see each other at the restaurant each time Noctis had an afternoon shift. Apparently Prompto chose to come here because it was quieter than a coffee shop, and he wouldn't be tempted to eat cake every day. Noctis decided those were valid reasons - although he personally wouldn't mind eating cake every day, but whatever. Prompto had also started taking morning classes at the university of Insomnia after summer break, but was still indulging his passion and hoped to make it as a photographer one day.

Over the weeks, Prompto had slowly migrated from his usual table to the one closest to the counter, so he could chat with Noctis while working - or, as was the present case, watch him suffer at the register with a girl who came by to pick up some takeout.

"B-but you're… you're Prince Noctis!" the girl all but shrieked, and Noctis had to stifle a wince. He glanced at Prompto, who was barely trying to hide his smile behind his hand.

"Really, it's not a big deal," Noctis said, forcing his practiced "Prince smile" out. "I'm just a guy working here."

The girl giggled - _of course she did_ \- and all but draped herself over the counter to lean closer to Noctis. "You're funny! Who knew our prince was funny?"

Noctis thought he heard a snort coming from Prompto's general direction, but the guy's face was now hidden behind his laptop's screen. _Lucky bastard._ "Glad you think so," Noctis said gently, reeling in his annoyance. "Here's your order," he added, handing out the bag.

"Thank you so much, Prince Noctis," the girl replied, still giggling, and touching her hair way more than seemed necessary.

"Thank you for your order. Have a nice day," he recited, granting the girl one more carefully manufactured smile.

After she took seemingly forever to step outside, turning back a few times to wave shyly at Noctis, he flopped down on the chair opposite Prompto, groaning loudly as he let his head fall onto the table. He was suddenly feeling very tired. Sure, getting a part time job had been his own choice - just another attempt at living a normal life outside the Citadel while he still could - but apparently _"normal"_ wasn't really possible when everyone knew your face.

"I'm jealous," he heard Prompto say. "You were way nicer to her than you were to me the first time."

Noctis moved his head slightly so he could look up at Prompto from behind his bangs. "I'm... sorry?"

The fake pout on Prompto's face disappeared into a gentle smile. "I'm kidding. Honestly, when I see how people act with you… I understand why you'd want to hide behind your counter."

Sighing, Noctis straightened up and shook his head. "She wasn't even that bad. At least she didn't start asking stupid questions."

Prompto hummed pensively. "She definitely had like a celebrity crush on you though. Then again, from what I overheard back in high school, many people did."

"You're one to talk," Noctis said with a smirk. "With all that staring you did, you're sure you're not the one with the crush?"

"Haha, you wish," Prompto retorted, shooting Noctis a playful smile that made something flutter slightly inside his chest.

The sound of a throat being cleared made them both jump. Noctis turned around quickly to see his advisor standing behind him, arms crossed, looking mildly annoyed.

"Ignis?"

"Surely you remembered that you were supposed to finish earlier today and attend that meeting with your father?"

 _Shit._ It had completely slipped his mind. He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry Specs, I'll go tell Lux and change."

"Right," Ignis sighed.

"Sorry... I kept talking earlier, so it's probably my fault..." Noctis heard Prompto say quietly.

"Hey, no - Really, it happens all the time," Noctis said quickly, and Prompto just smiled back but didn't look convinced.

"Indeed, Noct is more than capable of forgetting about his appointments on his own," Ignis added, smirking when Noctis shot him a flat stare.

"Anyway, sorry Prompto but I really have to run. I'll be here the day after tomorrow though."

"Sure, I'll be here as always," Prompto replied, his smile more sincere.

"And don't let Ignis scare you while I go change," Noctis added, to which Prompto gave a small nervous chuckle.

"Really Noct, I had no idea I was so intimidating," Ignis retorted, looking amused.

"What I mean is - Prompto's cool, don't ask him a thousand pointless questions," Noctis said quietly as he passed by Ignis on his way to the back of the restaurant.

Moments later, sitting in the back of his car, Noctis caught himself smiling as he received a text from Prompto - _"Ignis was a bit scary but you won't get rid of me that easily! Good luck for your meeting :) King's Knight later?"_ \- and chose to completely ignore Ignis' questioning glance in the rearview mirror as he texted back.

* * *

Of course, Ignis _had_ asked Prompto a thousand pointless questions. But Noctis guessed it was fine because, first of all, it hadn't scared Prompto away, and secondly, it meant Noctis now knew that Prompto's birthday was coming up.

He hadn't had much time to find Prompto a gift - between his private tutoring sessions, training sessions, and his part-time job, Noctis also hadn't had many opportunities to go shopping. But this was why online shops were a thing, right?

Noctis knew Prompto had some crazy obsession with chocobos, and luckily enough, the Chocobo Post in Duscae sold some of their stuff online. Not everything, mind you, but a phone call from the Prince's advisor was enough to make sure Prompto would be getting a limited edition chocobo charm for his phone.

Why Ignis had looked at him weirdly when Noctis had asked him to call, though, that was a mystery. Noctis hated making phone calls, after all - especially since there was always a chance people would think it was a prank call if he said who he was. And really, there was nothing weird about getting your friend a cool gift... Besides, it was _just_ a phone charm, not an actual chocobo or anything. Nothing to fret about, seriously.

Still, Noctis' hands were shaking a little as he placed a candle on top of the small sushi cake he had prepared before Prompto arrived. He had been looking at online instructions until late the previous night, and was rather happy with the result - layers of rice alternated with layers of various fish, and a few sushi rolls on top. It was colorful yet simple, and maybe kind of a stupid idea but... well, Noctis hoped Prompto would at the very least find the concept funny.

Time seemed to pass by way too slowly until Prompto finally came in and sat at his usual table, greeting Noctis with a wide smile. Taking a deep breath, Noctis discreetly lit the candle while Prompto wasn't looking, then grabbed the plate and the small gift and went to settle them down on Prompto's table.

"Um… Happy birthday Prom!" Noctis said sort of awkwardly, as Prompto stared up at him with wide eyes. There was a weird thrumming in his chest and Noctis realized that his heart was beating way too fast for someone who had only walked about ten steps. But he didn't have the leisure to dwell on this, because Prompto's eyes went from Noctis to the cake to the gift and then back to Noctis, and they were filled with such genuine happiness that anything else seemed rather insignificant right then.

"Noct, thanks… You made this? It looks awesome!" Prompto said, actually beaming - and maybe his voice was shaking a little but Noctis couldn't be sure.

"It's nothing much," Noctis said quickly, running a hand through his hair. "Just, you know... rice and fish? But I'm glad you like it. Ignis told me about your birthday and I didn't know how you'd be celebrating it, but I still wanted to do a little something. I mean, we're friends, right?"

Prompto's smile widened, if it was even possible. "Yeah, we are," he said quietly. "Thanks Noct, really. I…" he trailed off, his eyes suddenly darting to the side. "I don't usually do anything special, so, that means a lot."

"Huh?" Noctis exclaimed, sitting in the chair opposite Prompto. He knew Prompto's parents weren't around a lot, but not celebrating at all, really? Now Noctis wished he'd done more, like, at least invited Prompto over to play games… "Seriously? Man, if I had known I'd have…"

"It's fine," Prompto interrupted, shrugging. "Don't worry about it. I'm really happy," he added, looking back at Noctis with a smile that made his eyes sparkle.

Noctis wondered briefly whether or not he had ever noticed the ability of someone's eyes to _sparkle_ before, but he quickly dismissed the thought as irrelevant. "Well, at least open your gift," he said, pushing the small package towards Prompto.

Well, Noctis didn't remember ever seeing someone _that_ excited about a birthday present. It wasn't even anything big, but apparently Prompto thought it was _"absolutely awesome - thank you so much Noct this is adorable and wow is this the Duscae limited edition - how did you even - seriously, best present ever."_ As Prompto happily attached the charm to his phone, Noctis couldn't help but stare fondly at his friend, his chin resting on his left hand.

It was nice, Noctis thought, to be able to be so enthusiastic about small things in life. This was one of the things he really liked about Prompto, how he always managed to brighten the room. He wondered if part of the reason why Prompto looked so happy right now was simply because Noctis had _thought_ about him, and found that he wouldn't mind it if it were true. In fact, the idea made a comfortable warmth spread inside his chest.

The rest of the afternoon went by quietly, with fortunately no other client coming by - only a few takeout orders, but other than that, Noctis spent most of his time sitting and chatting with Prompto. They were in the middle of discussing their hopes for the new Assassin's Creed game that was being released the next day when Prompto shot him a concerned look.

"Okay, dude, don't freak out, but there's some scary looking super tall guy that's been staring at you for like the past five minutes…" Prompto said quietly.

Noctis raised a questioning eyebrow, but he wasn't too worried - a quick glance towards the clock on the wall gave him a pretty good idea of who this could be. He glanced above his shoulder and shot the "super tall guy" a glare. "Could you be any creepier?"

The guy just smirked, and Noctis heard Prompto huff a small relieved sound. "Let me guess, late for a meeting again?" his friend asked teasingly.

"I'm not late," Noctis retorted looking back at Prompto briefly before turning again. "Gladio, why are you here?"

"Ignis asked to make sure you were, as you said, not late," Gladio replied, still smirking. "Also he told me to wish your friend a happy birthday," he continued, making a greeting gesture towards Prompto.

Noctis heard the nervous chuckle that escaped Prompto. "Ah, um, thanks a lot," Prompto said quickly. Noctis glanced back at his friend to see him awkwardly rub the back of his neck, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. _Cute,_ he thought idly, a fond smile forming on his lips.

Gladio's voice interrupted Noctis' train of thought before it quite started. "Okay, _Highness,_ time to move."

"Right," Noctis said reluctantly. "Just wait for me in the car okay, I'll be there in five."

Noctis saw Gladio roll his eyes before leaving, waving to Prompto once again as he stepped away. Sighing deeply, Noctis stood up and ran a hand through his hair, pondering for a moment. Okay, they technically hadn't ever met outside of the restaurant but there was a first time for everything, right? Besides, they had been friends for two months, it was only normal for them to hang out at each other's places, right?

"Noct?"

"Hey, I just thought… I'm busy tonight and tomorrow, but do you want to come over on Saturday? The new game will be out, so I thought we could play it together?" he asked quickly.

Prompto gave him a knowing smile. "Is that because I told you I never celebrate my birthday?"

"Maybe?" Noctis replied, a little embarrassed. "Honestly though, with the game's release I would have suggested it anyway… But I won't ask Ignis for a cake if you don't want me to. It'd be a shame though, his cooking is _really_ good."

"Well, you already made me a cake today," Prompto said pensively, tilting his head while his fingers fidgeted with the edge of the table. "But now I'm curious, so why not?"

"Great! I'll text you the details, I really need to go now or Gladio will come back and drag me out," Noctis said, quickly walking towards the back room.

"Hey, Noct?" Prompto's voice made Noctis stop in his tracks and turn back to look at his friend. "You're the best. Thanks," Prompto said softly, lips curved into a smile so bright and sincere that Noctis had to swallow hard before he could reply that, really, it was nothing.

Really, if it made Prompto smile like this, he'd buy him chocobo-themed stuff and invite him over every day.

Though that would probably be weird.

 _Probably._

Noctis was still lost in thought when he joined Ignis and Gladio inside the car, flopping down into the backseat while trying to shake off the image of Prompto's smile from his brain because it was starting to be really distracting. He eventually noticed Gladio staring at him, the smug expression on his face signaling an impending headache for Noctis.

"What?"

"It was interesting. Seeing you _really_ smile for once," Gladio said in a teasing tone.

Noctis rolled his eyes and turned his head towards the window - he really didn't care for this conversation. When he barely smiled, they'd tease him - so _of course_ they'd also tease him when he actually did smile.

"Are you sure it was Noctis you were looking at, Gladio?" Ignis asked from the driver's seat.

"Oh yeah, no mistake here. He still doesn't smile as much as his boyfriend does."

Noctis choked and his head snapped towards his supposed _friends._ "...the hell?"

Ignis just sighed and ignored him completely. "They grow up so fast…"

"Hey!"

"They do make quite the cute couple," Gladio continued.

"Will you guys just shut the hell up?" Noctis finally shouted.

There was a moment of silence between the three men, before Ignis spoke again. "Yes, Noct?"

"Just because you guys just started dating doesn't mean everyone has to be a couple - we're just friends, okay?" Noctis said, and Gladio made a noncommittal noise. "What, Gladio?"

"Hm. Nothing. Just never really saw you smile like that is all…" he trailed off, and Noctis saw him exchange a look with Ignis in the rearview mirror.

Noctis rolled his eyes again. "Whatever guys. Just - stop, okay?"

Silence fell over them again, and Noctis pretended he couldn't see their smug little smiles before turning back towards the window. Seriously, these two had been pestering him to smile more and to make friends for years, and now of course they had to go and make fun of him for it. Whatever. He knew where he stood. Prompto was his friend - maybe even his best friend, if calling someone you'd only been around for two months a "best friend" was acceptable.

And okay, maybe today he had spent a lot of time staring at Prompto and maybe the guy did look _cute_ when he smiled - but there was no law saying that one's friend wasn't allowed to be cute, right? That didn't have to mean anything.

They were _friends._ Nothing more.

And Noctis was happy with this.

* * *

Alright.

Noctis was going to _murder_ Gladio. And maybe Ignis too, that way he wouldn't have to feel guilty about separating them.

Seriously, did they have to ruin _everything?_

Because, Noctis had been correct - Prompto and he were _just_ friends. The thing was, thanks to Gladio's not-so-subtle innuendos, every little thing Noctis had successfully ignored - every flutter inside his chest, every lingering stare, every smile, suddenly made complete sense.

And Noctis actually wasn't happy with this.

Well, no - he _was_ happy. He really was; everything about his friendship with Prompto was great, and he was definitely thankful that Lux had been on a break that one time and he had been obligated to talk to Prompto. And maybe he had been looking forward to his afternoon shifts for a while now; and maybe Prompto's smile always made his day ten times better - but there was no reason why it should have been a problem.

Except ignorance truly was bliss, and now Noctis was very much aware of how his heartbeat would increase whenever Prompto smiled at him, or how his stomach would fill up with butterflies whenever their fingers brushed, or how his eyes tended to focus on Prompto's lips way too often as he wondered what they would feel like against his. And it was turning his brain into mush way more than he felt comfortable with.

The worst moment had been that night he had invited Prompto over to play the new Assassin's Creed. He hadn't seen Prompto again since Gladio and Ignis' _welcome_ input about their relationship; and he had just been a complete blushing mess, jumping every time their arms brushed while playing and covering it up with a cough. Eventually, Prompto had thought Noctis was sick and had scolded him for not telling him, saying postponing would have totally been okay. Then he had made sure Noctis was tucked into bed and had made him promise to text when he felt better, before leaving Noctis alone to scream into his pillow while considering calling Gladio to yell at him.

Though that would have been admitting Gladio had been somewhat right, and that wasn't something Noctis wanted to do.

Noctis had managed to sort of recover before his next afternoon shift, and had been able not to embarrass himself when they were hanging out at the restaurant so far. He would still stare way too much whenever Prompto wasn't looking, and he could only imagine that daydreaming about running your lips across your friend's freckles was pushing the boundaries of acceptable friendly behavior - but it wasn't as if he could control the images his brain kept sending him.

 _"You're sure you're not the one with the crush? - Haha, you wish."_

He kept thinking back to this conversation they had had a while ago. And dammit if he _did_ wish Prompto had a crush on him now. But he didn't, right? And while having to cope with all of these newfound feelings was extremely nerve wracking, Noctis wasn't about to ruin the first real friendship he had managed to form outside of his royal life.

It was just a crush.

It would pass.

* * *

"You do know there are no rules against you dating anyone, don't you?"

"Where does that come from?" Noctis asked from the backseat of the car. In fact, he had a fairly good idea of where Ignis was coming from, and he really didn't want to talk about it. Apparently, crushes didn't pass that easily. Granted, it had not even been three weeks since he had realized he had one, but still.

"I only wanted to make sure that this wasn't the reason why you haven't asked Prompto out yet," Ignis replied nonchalantly.

Noctis put his hand over his face and took a deep breath. "Can we _please_ not talk about that?"

"Of course, though in all honesty I do not know what is holding you back. The way you two interact, I cannot see any reason why he would say no - "

"Can you just - drop it. Okay?" Noctis interrupted.

Ignis sighed. "Apologies. I will leave you to your brooding, then."

Noctis took another deep breath and pressed his face against the window, ignoring his friend. Seriously, Ignis had seen him with Prompto what, four times? What did he know about them?

Noctis was not going to act on his feelings, period. The benefit really didn't outweigh the risk. What would dating Prompto change anyway? Sure, he'd be able to hold his hand, and hug him, and kiss him, and - _oh Gods stop thinking -_ but other than that their relationship would probably be similar, right? So why risk losing what they had just for the hope to get physically closer?

Dating, kissing, all of this was probably overrated anyway.

Right?

* * *

Around the end of November, Prompto had to leave for a week on a photo trip. Well, he didn't exactly _have_ to, but he had always wanted to get out of the city to see other landscapes - and the autumn leaves in Duscae were said to be absolutely gorgeous this time of the year. He had some money saved, so why not just take this opportunity?

The week seemed to stretch on forever for Noctis, who somehow couldn't remember how he used to occupy his afternoons at work before Prompto came along. He tried to enjoy the quietness as much as possible, hoping that it would help him sort out his thoughts and feelings so that by the time Prompto came back, his crush would be successfully erased.

Then again, their constant texting probably wasn't helping in that regard.

And yes, maybe, _maybe_ Noctis had stared a bit too long at Prompto's selfie with a chocobo - because of course he had to visit the Chocobo Post while he was there - but that chocobo was very cute, okay? And no, he hadn't been sighing dramatically while looking at it. His feelings were totally under control, thank you very much.

Alright, maybe he'd just look at that photo again one last time.

* * *

 _[Prompto] You're not working tonight, right?_

 _[Noctis] Nope, I'm home, why?_

The reply came in the form of the doorbell ringing. Noctis looked from his phone to the door, then quickly jumped off the couch to confirm his suspicion. On the other side of the door stood Prompto, a large backpack on his shoulders and a shy smile on his lips.

"...Prom?"

"I honestly wasn't sure I'd be able to get in, but apparently the guys downstairs still had my name from that time you invited me over…"

"Oh yeah, I had you cleared for whenever… Is everything okay?"

Prompto jumped slightly and a faint blush colored his cheeks, the sight making Noctis swallow hard. "Ah yes, sorry, um… I know it's getting late and I didn't warn you, but I just came back and your place isn't far from the bus station, and, well, I have something for you," Prompto babbled quickly.

Noctis gave him a gentle smile. "It's fine, I was just worried. Come on in, I'll get you something to drink."

"Really it's fine, I just - here," he said, handing Noctis a small package. "It's not much, but they have all these fishing shops over there, and I know you love fishing, and, well, I thought…"

Noctis opened the package to find a small, cute, fishing-themed phone charm inside, and his brain came to a halt right then and there. He blinked a few times before looking back up at Prompto who was eyeing him shyly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I know, I probably could have given it to you at the restaurant tomorrow, but I just…" Prompto trailed off, but Noctis could barely hear him over the deafening sound of his heartbeat in his ears. He could only stare at Prompto's face, his blue eyes still shining under the dim light of the hallway, his freckles standing out against the blush on his cheeks, his teeth worrying his bottom lip, his lips, his lips… soft and warm and _amazing_ and -

 _What._

Noctis couldn't even remember leaning in, but all he knew was that now he was _kissing_ Prompto and - _oh Gods what am I doing?_

He jumped back, his eyes impossibly wide and his heart racing. He tried scanning Prompto's face for a sign, anything to make sure he didn't just ruin their friendship, but his friend looked just as stunned, though his blush seemed to have intensified.

"Prom - I'm sorry - I don't know what - " Noctis stammered, but was interrupted by Prompto's lips covering his own again, still soft, still warm and still amazing. For a few seconds Noctis was frozen in complete shock until his brain supplied him with the fact that it was actually _okay_ \- and a rather embarrassing sound escaped his throat; but Noctis quickly forgot about it and focused on kissing Prompto back, wrapping his arms around his friend's neck and letting himself melt in Prompto's embrace.

Alright. Kissing Prompto was _definitely_ _not_ overrated after all.

As they pulled apart for air, Noctis let his forehead rest against Prompto's and chuckled breathlessly. "So…"

"Yeah..."

"I can't believe we could have been doing _that_ all along."

"Well, it's not as if I _knew_ it was okay with you. I'm not a mind reader," Prompto said teasingly, raising his head to smile at Noctis.

"Oh and I am one?" Noctis replied, raising an eyebrow as his fingers toyed with the hair at the base of Prompto's neck.

"I don't know, you've got some magical powers and stuff, right?"

"Sorry to disappoint you," Noctis chuckled, "but my powers aren't that much fun."

"It's okay," Prompto said quietly, his gaze falling to Noctis' lips again. "I like you anyway," he continued, and then they were kissing again. Noctis sighed against Prompto's lips, the warmth inside his chest still growing with the realization that _this_ was really happening, that Prompto _liked_ him, that he was _here_ in his arms - and honestly, if the only thing he did until the end of his days was kiss Prompto, he would be fine with it.

"You wanna come in?" Noctis asked when they broke apart again, realizing that they were still very much half in his hallway.

Prompto's face became beet red and he froze for a second. "I, um…"

Realization dawned on Noctis and his eyes widened. "No, I didn't mean - I mean, well, unless you - but no, really, it's just… You only just got here and, um..." he said quickly, eyes darting to the side. Noctis really didn't want the moment to end just yet, but he found that he couldn't manage to say it out loud. "Coffee and a movie?"

When Noctis lifted his gaze again, Prompto was smiling softly. "Make it a hot chocolate and I'm in," he said, stepping out of their embrace but grabbing Noctis' hand.

"Deal," Noctis replied, lacing their fingers together as he led Prompto inside his place, the phone charm still secure in his other hand.

Moments later, Noctis was distantly aware of the sound of the movie in the background, and how their beverages lay forgotten on the coffee table. But really, why should he care when he could listen to the soft noises Prompto made against his mouth instead?

And if even later, once the evening had faded away in a blur of warm lips and gentle touches, they eventually fell asleep on the couch snuggled against each other - well, they only laughed about it the next day before kissing some more.

* * *

Alright, maybe Noctis' part-time job had never been the most exhilarating thing, and maybe there were still people giggling or asking him stupid questions whenever they recognized him. But lately, Noctis found he didn't mind it as much. Just glancing discreetly at the head of blonde hair poking from behind a laptop was enough to make him smile a lot more sincerely.

Or maybe it was all the making out in the back room and supply closet that helped lift Noctis' mood. He couldn't really tell.

All Noctis could tell was that his afternoon shifts had suddenly become way more interesting, although not very productive work-wise. Sometimes he wondered whether people pretended not to know what was going on because he was the Prince, or if he and Prompto really were being subtle while sneaking around.

Then again, as Prompto pushed him back against a shelf, his lips crashing on Noctis' as their bodies melted against each other, hands tugging at hair or sneaking under shirts, muffled sounds echoing against the cramped space's walls, Noctis found he didn't care much. After all, there were much better things to focus on right now.

* * *

 _A/N:_ _I think we all know that these two are pretty much unable of being subtle. Sorry boys, but it's okay, you be happy._ _Also then everyone lived happily ever after because canon events never happened. You're welcome._

 _On a side note, I posted my first FFXV story one year ago today. I can't believe I've written so much for this game and these boys. I'm not sure whether or not I will keep writing for this fandom or if I will try my hand in another - but in any case this has been an amazing adventure. Thanks to all of you who read my stories and supported me along the way!_

 _Don't hesitate to bother me on Tumblr yuneyn and Twitter Yuneyn__


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